This Surprising “Cozy” Kitchen Upgrade Is Worth Every Penny (I Use It Every Single Day!)

One of my favorite things about going to other people’s homes is seeing the unique ways they operate in their own spaces. I always get so inspired to try new things, like when I saw how my friend used a San Marzano tomato can as a utensil holder, or when I observed another friend’s brilliant dinner cleanup trick. And a recent discovery at my sister’s house actually changed the layout of my kitchen.

One item in her kitchen in particular was at the very top of my list to add to our kitchen when we updated it: a built-in hot water dispenser. It’s essentially a mini water tank that sits underneath the kitchen sink, ready to dispense super-hot water at the turn of a handle. Along with our glass rinser and the workstation sink that I absolutely love, this hot water dispenser is one of my very favorite things in our kitchen. Because in this family of seven, every little gadget helps.

The Ready Hot Instant Hot Water Dispenser System is easy to install (this installation video details the process) — the unit sits in your under-sink cabinet (it’s recommended that you use a water leak detector with it), and you’ll need a hole in your countertop for the faucet fittings to run through. The unit connects to your existing water line and you can run filtered water through it. This particular model dispenses both filtered water and hot water, which I think makes it extra useful, but you can get units that only dispense hot water if you prefer. The temperature of the water is easily adjustable, and the handle that dispenses the hot water has a safety feature that requires you to push it down before turning it. This way, you don’t accidentally dispense hot water and risk burns. 

The Ready Hot System costs $229.94 and, yes, it’s a splurge, but believe me — it is worth every single penny. I thought I just wanted to have hot water at the turn of a handle for tea, but I actually use it for so much more than I expected. 

• For drinks: It’s so easy to make tea and we drink it (at least) daily — especially during the chillier months. Rather than waiting for hot water to boil in a kettle (wasting energy!), we just drop our tea bags in our mugs and fill them with piping-hot water. We also sometimes use the hot water for coffee and hot chocolate. 
• To remove labels: Removing sticky labels has never been easier. While I still need to do OxiClean baths sometimes, other times all I have to do is hold the item under the hot water for the label to melt off. (Just be super careful not to burn yourself by using protective gloves.) 
• For mopping: I often add hot water to my mop bucket to boost the cleaning power of my cleaning solution. 
• For cleaning pots and pans: When I have to deal with burnt-on food on pots and pans, I add a bit of dish soap and hot water to jumpstart the cleaning process. 
• For cooking: Of course, I use the hot water dispenser all the time for cooking and baking. When a recipe calls for warm water for proofing yeast, it’s so much faster and easier to use the hot water dispenser. In addition, when I’m making soup or mixing bouillon, having hot water keeps the soup from cooling down and helps the bouillon dissolve. 

Buy: Ready Hot Instant Hot Water Dispenser System, $229.94